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DPT3 Immunization Coverage in Children

What does it mean ?

DPT is a combination vaccine that immunizes against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. This indicator refers to the proportion of children aged 12-23 months that had received their third dose of the DPT vaccine by the age of 12 months.

Why does it matter ?

Immunizing children is the most cost-effective way of making sure that every child has the opportunity to survive into adulthood with good health. Immunization saves the lives of millions of children every year.
There has been a recent renewal in global efforts to protect every child from preventable disease through vaccination programs. There is also increased investment in research efforts to discover new vaccines for common killer diseases. This is because immunization is extremely effective is in reducing child mortality.
Regular vaccination programs are a good indicator of a functioning health system as well as improving the overall immunization status in a country.

How is it collected ?

Two methods can be used to collect data. The first is using facility based registers that record information about the vaccinations performed by service providers. The second is a national survey undertaken in each country from a sample of households during which respondents are asked whether or not their children aged 12-23 months received their third dose of the DPT vaccine by the age of 12.

Find out more about the Summary Definition and the Methodology for Collection and Calculation

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Summary Definition, Methodology for Collection and Calculation

Alternative Data Sources

The data for each indicator on African Health Stats (AHS) are published by the UN agency, or UN inter-agency group, which holds responsibility for global monitoring of the indicator. This varies by indicator. Please refer to ‘Data Source’. AHS uses data from these sources because such data are internationally comparable and it is the mandate of those agencies to prepare such data and monitor progress internationally. In some cases the UN agency has made adjustments to the data in order to make national data internationally comparable, for example they may adjust national estimates to account for differences in survey design, the extent of potential underreporting, and the definition of what is being measured (eg. maternal deaths). This means that at times there may be discrepancies between national and international estimates. Individual countries may prefer to instead rely on national figures for national monitoring. For uniformity, AHS uses only international estimates of the UN agencies in data visualisations.

There are two methods that can be used to collect data. The first is a national survey undertaken in each country from a sample of households during which respondents are asked whether or not their children aged 12-23 months received their third dose of the DPT vaccine by the age of 12 months. The second is using facility based registers that record information about the vaccinations performed by service providers. The data collected from these methods is used to calculate the indicator by dividing the number of children aged 12-23 months receiving their third dose of the DPT vaccine by the age of 12 months by the total number of children aged 12-23 months.

For more information, visit: http://apps.who.int/gho/indicatorregistry/App_Main/view_indicator.aspx?iid=88

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